Arsenal & Adidas Expand No More Red Campaign
January 13, 2023
The Premier League's Arsenal F.C. and adidas have launched the next phase of their ‘No More Red’ campaign, which began in January 2022 to help tackle knife crime and youth violence in London. For 2023, the campaign is inviting members of the public to get involved by volunteering with its charity partners, as well as creating more safe spaces and recognizing local champions.
The No More Red campaign was created in response to 2021’s record of teenage murders in London and to highlight almost “four decades of local community work that has helped keep thousands of young people safe”. Although the number of teenagers killed as a result of violent youth crime dropped significantly in 2022, there were 11,502 knife crimes recorded between January 2022 and November 2022 – an increase compared to that period in 2021.
“Young people face multiple challenges as they grow up in today’s world and we don’t have all the answers, but we are confident our work makes a significant contribution to the lives of our participants. Our hard work must continue and we’re proud to be building on the achievements of the first year of No More Red by adding more social action projects and a volunteer program that broadens the reach of this powerful initiative,” said Freddie Hudson, Head of Arsenal in the Community.
Both Arsenal and adidas will be fulfilling their long-term commitments through the 2023 expansion of the campaign. The partners will be investing in safe spaces to play football within the capital in the effort to keep youth off the street and away from crime. Plans are in place to redevelop a community pitch in Kings Square Estate, Islington later this month.
No More Red will also provide better access to trusted role models by bringing together groups of young people from the local community and connecting them with inspirational talent from the creative and sports industries. This includes paid opportunities for the youth to work on creative projects that will leave a positive mark on their community, such as art installations, community events and awareness campaigns. A focus will also be taken on awarding and recognizing local young people who have been identified as positive influences in their communities.
The initiative is also inviting members of the public to be part of the movement by volunteering with one of its charity partners. Each member that volunteers will have the chance to receive their own No More Red shirt and will be invited to watch Arsenal play at Emirates Stadium. Charity partners include:
- Arsenal in the Community (Arsenal’s charity arm)
- The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation
- Steel Warriors
- Don’t Stab Your Future
- Box Up Crime
- Copenhagen Youth Project
- St Giles Trust
- Abianda
- Octopus Community Network
- The Ben Kinsella Trust
To mark the second year of this campaign, Arsenal men’s first team wore a version of its kit in support of the No More Red campaign on Monday. The women’s team will also join in support by wearing the campaign’s training kit and anthem jackets against Chelsea F.C. this Sunday.